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A reasonably good product

My sister whilst in the process of moving house off loaded some skin care/beauty products that had gathered at the back of her bathroom cabinet and had either only been opened and used once, or half used. One product that was half used was this Boots Skin Clear Deep Blackhead Cleaning Lotion, which at present costs £2.99 for a 200ml bottle (It is actually half price at £1.49 at the moment). In this case, this product wasn't one that my sister particularly hated but felt that she wanted something a little gentler on her skin that would moisturise as she got older (she is older than me).

This product claims to be gentle enough for daily use, it also states that it 'unclogs pores', 'fights spot causing bacteria' and contains 'blackhead fighting ingredients'. The instructions on the product state that you apply this to your skin using a cotton pad, wiping over particularly greasy/oily areas. Although I too have noticed my skin getting drier as I get older, I do still get spots around my chin occasionally, and I can see the blackheads on my nose in particular.

Since getting this product from my sister I certainly haven't used it everyday, but just last week a couple of spots started appearing on my chin and prompted me to use this a little more frequently. I applied this lotion onto a cotton wool ball and used it to cleanse my nose and chin, the two areas that I would classify as oily on my face. I noticed that this product contains salicylic acid, a product that I recall being in some products that my doctor would have prescribed when I was a teenager suffering a severe bout of acne, and it certainly was very effective to helping rid my skin of the acne. It is possibly the inclusion of this ingredient that means when you apply it to your skin there is a tingle but nothing uncomfortable. Certainly, after a few days those couple of spots on my chin had practically cleared up and were much less noticeable, a considerably shorter time that if they had been left alone. In regards to the blackhead removal element, I can't say that it has got rid of the blackheads on my nose, but I don't think they are just as prominent or noticeable! So there definitely has been a difference using this product. There isn't any great scent with this product and even though my skin is fairly sensitive I haven't been affected by using this.

All in all, I don't think this is a product I would use everyday, as, like my sister, I probably use more moisturising products nowadays and spot fighting ones, however, I do still get outbreaks and it is at this point that I would reach for this product. So, I can see why my sister hadn't finished it, as it wouldn't be a daily thing to use in my bathroom cabinet. I was a little disappointed that it didn't remove any blackheads but it definitely helped clear up spots.

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Why did they change the formula?

Special features?*************This is a cleanser specially formulated to be deep cleansing, to help unclog pores, to clear spot-causing bacteria and claims to be gentle enough for everyday use.

Boots have actually been doing this cleanser for a long time but have recently replaced the whole range with new packaging and in the case of this cleanser, they have also changed the formula too.

What do I think?*************To be honest, I really don't like the new formula at all. The old version cleanser actually contained witch hazel and tea tree oil and now the new formula has excluded these two valuable ingredients. The cleanser was actually the one of the few on the market that contains Witch Hazel and Tea Tree Oil, Boots also do another facial cleanser that contained only tea tree oil, but I found that one too harsh and strong for my skin and the old formula one was perfect, as it was so much milder and kinder to the skin, contained the two important active ingredients and I really found it effective at keeping my spots away.

However, the new version is entirely different, it has turned itself into a cleanser that is very similar to the others on the market. It has a higher content of alcohol and contains very similar ingredients to the other brands on the market. This was the whole reason why I never bought the other brands and only this one, as they were all too harsh for the skin and not very effective. So I don't understand why they have stopped the old formula.

It's the same price, £2.99, but with a different formula. It simply is no good for me, I find it more drying for my skin than before. I'm sorry, but I won't be buying it again. I am now stuck for a facial cleanser that is gentle on the skin and helps to prevent spots.